Yoruba Proverbs In English With Alaba Babalola

*ORÍKÌ (The Yoruba golden way of nomenclature)* Do you know that before slave trade, Yoruba don't bear surname as part of their own name? Before then, everybody bears his own name in a unique way. Bearing ones father's or grand father's name as surname actually began when the British came to Nigeria,and father's name became mandatory to be added as surname during primary school registration.  Instead, yoruba name an individual child in a unique way that is never seen anywhere else in the world. It is a  format of 3 names i.e ORÚKỌ ÀBÍSỌ(personal name), ORÍKÌ (epithet), ORÍLÈ (ancestral  totem name). For instance,  Adekola Ajani Ìkọ́ or Oladele Alabi Ọ̀kín. Let us look into each name identity and what it represents. ORUKO ÀBÍSỌ: Oruko abiso is a personal name given to an individual based on family nobility or identity. ẹ.g  royal families name their children with prefix like Ade or Oye, warriors name Akin, noble family name Ola, the family of Egungun worshipers n...

*THE RENO OMOKRI SERIES (24)* Destroying Age-Old Myths About The Yoruba: THE ALTERNATIVE  by  Reno Omokri. There are many myths circulated by various ethnic nationalities about the Yoruba people of the Southwest, and a personal experience with a non-Yoruba provoked me to address some of these myths using historical facts. Please bear with me, this is a long read. Myth one: The Yoruba are betrayers A lot of this angst, which has refused to fade away decades after the dramatis personae exited this world, is centred around a supposed betrayal of Emeka Ojukwu and the Igbo by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. And sadly, this has now become an emotive issue, where fiction has been fed to many young people as fact. The truth is that Chief Awolowo went on a peace meeting to Enugu, to try to persuade Igbo leaders to adopt a peaceful way out of the crisis that had unfolded in Nigeria after the January 15, 1966 coup and the July 29, 1966 counter coup. Awolowo met with the leaders of the Ea...

Excerpt from "A Discussion of 250 Deep Yoruba (African) Proverbs" By Alaba J. Babalọla Available for Sale at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/9785946703 https://www.jumia.com.ng/generic-a-discussion-of-250-deep-yoruba-african-proverbs-208617773.html https://selar.co/vuxu PROVERB 62 If the wall does not open its mouth, the Lizard would not find the space to enter it. TEASER THOUGHTS Disunity and rift in a relationship leaves room for the invading enemy to enter and do more damage. YORUBA ROOTS B'ogiri o la'nu, Alangba o le r'aye wọọ. EXPLANATION / MEANING A wall is many bricks and mortar standing together in unity, strength and capacity to stop any invader or to keep them out.  The mouth of a wall is the crack in it or the part where it is broken through which an invader can gain access. The Lizard is an enemy of a wall with an open mouth. It will go through that mouth until the mouth becomes bigger and bigger.  In the context of this proverb, a mouth or a crack in a wa...

Excerpt from "A Discussion of 250 Deep Yoruba (African) Proverbs" By Alaba J. Babalọla Available for Sale at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/9785946703 https://www.jumia.com.ng/generic-a-discussion-of-250-deep-yoruba-african-proverbs-208617773.html https://selar.co/vuxu PROVERB 58 One never hears a bad omen from the mouth of the priest who offers sacrifices to the gods. TEASER THOUGHTS One place where there is always hope for a good omen, whether or not it materializes. YORUBA ROOTS A kii gbọ aburu l'ẹnu abọrẹ. EXPLANATION / MEANING This is true. You will seldom hear a priest tell you that there is no solution to your problem. There is always a way out for the gods! It could cost you a little or a lot in terms of sacrifice. In that tradition, for the peace and tranquility of a troubled community for example, it may be the custom to inquire from the gods about what to do in order to achieve peace and happiness for its inhabitants. The solution is usually in the form of one sac...

Excerpt from "A Discussion of 250 Deep Yoruba (African) Proverbs" By Alaba J. Babalọla Available for Sale at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/9785946703 https://www.jumia.com.ng/generic-a-discussion-of-250-deep-yoruba-african-proverbs-208617773.html PROVERB 166 One learns the matters before one learns the fights. ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION One deals with the matters before one deals with the fights. TEASER THOUGHTS The civil rule of engagement preserves peace through discussions, and so prevents a battle. All persons should learn it. YORUBA ROOTS Ẹjọ laa kọ kaa to kọ'ja. EXPLANATION / MEANING When two people disagree about something, before they fight over it, usually, there is an opportunity to discuss, to exchange views and opinions, to evaluate the other person's positions and look at the possibility of settling the matter one way or another. This would apply both in private situation and especially in official settings where for example a court presides over the matter. I...

Excerpts from: A Discussion of 250 Deep Yoruba African Proverbs by : Alaba J. Babalola Available at : https://www.amazon.com/dp/9785946703 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-discussion-of-250-deep-yoruba-alaba-j-babalola/1143299069 https://www.jumia.com.ng/generic-a-discussion-of-250-deep-yoruba-african-proverbs-208617773.html ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 'Eni t'aa she loore ti o dupe dabi ọlọsha to ko ni l'ẹru lọ' is a saying in Yoruba that reminds us of the essence of gratitude towards people who have been kind or good to us. When we fail to express gratitude where necessary, our benefactors may compare us to a robber who has plundered their domain and made away with articles of great value.  Because I don't want to be thought of as a robber I would quickly render my heartfelt gratefulness and appreciation to people who have helped me in various ways to make the writing of this book possible.  Generally these good people include persons who inspired or encouraged the work, eit...

Excerpt from "A Discussion of 250 Deep Yoruba (African) Proverbs" By Alaba J. Babalọla Available for Sale at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/9785946703 https://www.jumia.com.ng/generic-a-discussion-of-250-deep-yoruba-african-proverbs-208617773.html PROVERB 55 It is something done without recognition of others that entangles a person. Paying respect does not entangle a person. TEASER THOUGHTS Giving respect to whom it is due as a proactive measure for freedom and personal success. YORUBA ROOTS Adashe ni hun ni, Iba kii hun ni. EXPLANATION / MEANING If a person prefers to work independently, especially without acknowledging how other people's expertise or knowledge can help him in his work, he is likely to run into the kind of problem indicated in this proverb. If he runs in to a fix or faced with some challenges, he may not get help easily. An open attitude of respect for people who are more experienced or more resourceful one way or another in his area of practice can ensure ...